An average Malayali film lover will always welcome veteran director Siby Malayil when he comes out with a movie, that too after a gap. But his latest offering ‘Njangalude Veettile Athidhikal’,proves an altogether unwelcome prospect. A timid effort with little spark of imagination or flair,the movie will leave you high and dry.

It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that most of Jayaram’s characters are as predictable as the tea that is usually served in our trains. It’s mostly bland, repetitive and churned up without much effort.

It is all about marital discord, psychological trauma, fidelity and infidelity.The premise is as old as the woods and the treatment is absolutely anachronistic. The complications that the plot is laden with leave the viewer in a maze and the pedestrian end presents a picture of shambles.

Manoj (Jayaram) and Bhavana (Priyamani) are locked in a marriage which is ridden with conflicts and lack of trust.An advocate Manoj is an outgoing personality driven by his passion for money. While Bhavana is an imaginative being and is a real bookworm. Her literary bent of mind seldom finds an ideal foil in Manoj who is ruthlessly practical. The self centred Bhavana harbours a suspicion that her husband is having extra marital affairs.Their relation worsened after the death of their daughter in an accident. The arrival of Maya (Lena), in the scene complicates matters further. A woman who has no love lost for menfolk, Maya adds fuel to the fire with her closeness to Bhavana.

Afterwards we are treated to situations that would look outdated even in a movie which released two decades ago.Bhavana’s extravagant imagination runs riot and her hallucinations make her do some unthinkable things. The characters of Narain and Kalabhavan Shajon come in, to no avail. From an average family drama the film is sought to be elevated to an exhaustive psychological examination. But the hollow script never allows the film to prosper in the manner the director would have conceived.

This one could easily rank among the worst films from Siby Malayil, who has made some terrific movies in the past. The uncanny resemblance of some scenes to the classic movie Manichithrathazhu is interesting for sure. The visuals are fine but the music rarely appeals.

Jayaram repeats his trademark antics, once again. Priyamani and the rest of the cast struggles to present their badly written roles convincingly.

There is no point in mincing words, Njangalude Veettile Adhithikal tests the patience of the viewer big time. Watch it at your own risk please!